Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Buckingham Pond Park and the CityGolf Course are loaded with ticks.Also, the area around Hartman RdCommunity Garden.When walking your pets in the park orat the golf course, after hours, keep themout of tall grass and leaves. Check yourself and your pets carefullyafter every outing.Newborn ticks appear at this time of year.They are about pin head size. Very small.But, just like baby rattlesnakes, just asdangerous as adults.One female tick can have a 1,000 or moreoffsprings.Beware that you or your pets do not bringticks indoors. Your furniture and carpetscould become infested.After a walk last night, spotted a tick or twonear my dogs' bedding. Washed their beddingdried it in a hot dryer. Vacuumed floors andrugs wherever, the dogs lay last night.We routinely sweep/vacuum where dogssleep and air their bedding in the hot sun, orthe cold of winter. Their bedding is washedoften.This helps guard against tick and flea infestations.We do not use Front Line or other pesticides.But do apply Avon Skin So Soft. Sage andRosemary also, help discourage mosquitoesin season, to guard agist Heart Worm.Our dogs do get blood tests for Lyme andHeart Worm, get Lyme booster shots andare given Intercepter tablets, once a monthduring the warm season, to guard againstHeart Worm. Intercepter because, they areCollie dogs, who can suffer fatality fromHeart Guard.The TU also had a good article several daysago, about pet first aid kits and providingfor your pets in a disaster/emergency. Joe Sullivan

How about poison in neighborhood adultschildren, pets and wildlife resulting fromexcessive use of lawn fertilizers, lawn chemicalsand other household chemicals?Not to mention respiratory problems fromvehicle emissions from growing volumes of trafficon city/neighborhood streets, coupled withexcessive dumping of road salt which drysand becomes airborne at this time of year. Joe Sullivan

BUCKINGHAM POND PARKNeighborhood volunteers did a nice jobwith last Saturday's clean up. Congratulations.Now, the City of Albany has to step up to theplate and do the necessary work to put thepond park back in shape.Refer to posts of April 2 and March 27, thisblog, for recommended actions by the Cityand volunteers of the newly form pondconservancy.Scroll back on this site for more detailedrecommendations in a number of earlierposts this year and last. Joe Sullivan

Friday, April 17, 2009

BUCKINGHAM POND PARK NEWS 4/17/09The Buckingham Pond Conservancy parkclean up . Saturday 4/18 is not sponsoredby the BuckinghamPond/Crestwood NA.We do not sponsor such clean ups because ofliability issues, should someone get injuredof infected by with Lyme Disease which canresult from ticks numerous in the pond parkarea. Newborn ticks, appearing now, carryLyme. Accordingly, the BPCNA is not a sponsoror participant in the 4/18 pond park clean upand, therefore, not liable in any way.

The Buckingham Pond Conservancy is anewly formed group not affiliated with orworking through BPCNA.

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OTHER NEWSThere is a vandalized small tree located onRafts Way, S side of pond, between Colonialand Milner.I replanted the exposed root, but left theroot still in the ground, undisturbed becausethe tree is budding. I propped the tree upbut it still has a lean to it. The tree should beleft alone until the Fall when it becomesdormant. It can be replanted then.Very reasonable tree and shrub stock willbe available tomorrow from 9 am to Noonat the Albany County SWCD sale, MartinRd, Voorheesville. Other options includethe Schenectady and Renssselaer CountySWCD tree/shrub sales. See earlier posts.

Monday, April 13, 2009

POACHERS AT WORKBUCKINGHAM POND PARKSeveral neighbors have reported that a groupwith a van is poaching fish from BuckinghamPond Park, during daylight hours.The poachers reportedly took fish, includingvery small ones, in bags. The poachers parkedtheir van in the parking semi-circle , N sideof pond, at the foot of Colonial Ave.Poachers were described as being of ThirdWorld origins.Be on the look out and get a license platenumber. Report to Officer Rick RomandCommunity Service Unit, APD CenterStation 458 5669 or 224 2180.Joe Sullivan

Thursday, April 02, 2009

JACK BACK TO CARE FORBUCKINGHAM POND PARKLast October, we asked Mayor Jennings torestore Jack's position to the City budgetfor 2009.Monday, October 06, 2008SAVE JACK'S JOB/SAVE OUR PARKBuckingham Pond Park caretaker, Jack, does a terrific job maintainingthe park.Jack tells me that Friday will be his last day, and he won't be coming back next season because of 62 seasonal workers will be cut from the city budget.The plan is for a city crew to follow a one day a month mowing-maintenance schedule next year.This in unacceptable!Buckingham Pond Park is the centerpiece of our neighborhood. We need Jack to stay on as a seasonal caretaker.Homeowners in this neighborhood pay very high property taxes, and in turn, receive minimal city services, as compared to many other city neighborhoods.Contact Mayor Jennings immediately. Ask him to restore Jack's seasonal position as caretaker of Buckingham Pond Park, and to supplement Jack's efforts with city parks crews, as needed.Call the Mayor at 434 5100, write him at City Hall, Albany, 12207 or call in on his Friday radio show, 9-10 AM . Talk Radio 1300 AM . 476 1300.Thank you. J P Sullivanposted by J P Sullivan 1:09 PM0 comments

Mayor Jennings delivered. Jack will beback taking care of Buckingham PondPark.Thank you Mayor Jennings and Jack.However, the pond park is in roughshape after the winter.It will take more than Jack cutting thegrass to restore the pond park after ahard winter.The archives of this site contain numerous recommendations for improvingthe park.To recap, the City Parks and Recreation Depthas some major work to do here, including:1. resurfacing the pathways with coarsecrushed bluestone2. repairing the Milner Ave foot bridgesplit rail fence and pathway3. restoring and replanting the plantersat both ends of the foot bridge4. removing a number of dead treesincluding the big cottonwoods thatoverhang the path at the foot ofLenox, S side of pond5. cutting vines that are stranglingyounger trees and clearing brushfrom around young conifers andhardwoods ,topermit their growth.See the southern and westernparts of the pond park.Several of the young conifers,including the two Hemlocks closest to Rafts Way, S side of pond parkshould be transplanted to more open spaces on the dredged fill siteso that the conifers might grow totheir mature shapes and sizes.6. stabilizing pond shore erosion byplanting trees and shrubs that thrivein wet conditions. (see lists of thesein earlier posts this site, this year).7. building a stone bulkhead , addingfill and plantings, such as Red OsierDogwoods, to stabilize the erodingshore ad foot path, S side p0nd fromEuclid to Lenox8. cleaning up litter and yard wastesdumped along the southern andwestern parts of the pond park

All of these and more can be obtained at reasonable costsfrom the various Soil and WaterConservation District sales thisSpring. Click on prior postPlant a Tree.... for details.These are a few of the more pressingneeds. Consult earlier posts for morerecommended actions.Residents living within the pond parkwatershed can help improve pond waterquality and save the pond, by reducingapplications of lawn chemicals andfertilizers.Not littering, or dumping yard wastesand picking up after your dogs will alsocontribute to a cleaner park environment.Thank you. Joe Sullivan

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Auto Break ins/Robberies AdvisoryOfficer Romand, APD, advises that therehave been a number of vehicle break insin nearby neighborhoods in the past fewweeks.With the advent of warmer weather andthe economic downturn, it is prudentfor our neighborhood residents to be alertand guard against street robberies, vehicleand home break ins as well as graffiti vandalism. Also, drug deals at theBuckingham Pond Park parking lotfoot of Colonial Ave, N side of park.Dogwalkers, strollers, joggers and driversare encouraged to carry their cell phonesat all times so that they may immediatelynotify the APD 458 5660 and/orAnti Terror Hotline 1 866 SAFE NYS723 3697as appropriate.Homeowners and apartment dwellersare urged to keep a close watch ontheir blocks.All neighborhood residents are part ofour neighborhood watch.Joe Sullivan

Theft Prevention Tips Lock Your Car. Most thieves will try multiple car doors to look for one that is unlocked to steal out of. Don’t Hide a Second Set of Keys in Your Car. They don’t serve a purpose and if a thief gets in your car they could steal it. Park in Well-Lighted Areas. Park in Attended Lots. Auto thieves do not like witnesses and prefer unattended lots. Close Your Car Windows When Parking. Don’t make it any easier for the thief to enter your vehicle. Hide Your Valuables. Don’t make your car a more desirable target for thieves by leaving valuables in plain sight. Make The Interior of Your Car Look The Same Way It Did When You Bought It. Clean out the visible change in the center console and anything else that is in plain view from the outside of the car. One dollar in change is enough for a thief to break into your car.Plug Auxiliary Power Out l e t s . Thieve s will think that there are electronic devices in the car if they see open power out lets .Report Suspicious Activity. People looking into or trying the door handles on vehicles .Cal l 438 -400 0.Anti -Theft Device sRemote Ca r Starter . Al lows the owner to safely start a vehicle and leave the motor running to pre -heat the interior .Alarm Systems .Security systems that make loud warning sounds and flash the vehicle’s lights to attract attention t o the vehicle .Ignition Kill Switch. Disables the power to the s tarter of a vehicle until a hidden switch is activated.Fuel Kill Switch. A valve that cuts off the fuel supply to the vehicle .Visible Steering Wheel Lock. Pr e -vents the steering wheel from being turned .Floor board Locks. Devices that disable the gas or b rake pedal .Gear shift Locks . Disable s shifting o f the transmission.Ti r e /Wheel Locks . Prevents the vehicle from moving.Hood Locks . Prevents thieves from gaining access to your security system and battery .Locking Wheel Lug Nuts .They are inexpensive and c an de t e r a thief from stealing your wheels . You only need one per wheel . Don’t leave the key visible in your car.Removable Face Stereo Unit .The control pane l o f the s t e r e o comes off to be taken with you. This makes the stereo inoperable without it.Locking Fuel Ca p. The high price of fuel has made it a hot commodity.VIN-Etching. Have al l the glass in your vehicle etched with the VIN number to deter cars t ripping.Be Pr e pa r e dKeep Your Gas Tank At Le as t Hal f Full . This could prevent you from breaking down in an undesirable area.Have An Emergency Kit In Your Trunk.Don’t Abandon Your Vehicle . I f you b r e a k down and have to leave your vehicle on the side of a road; Don’t leave it for a long time .AutomobileTheft Prevention